Porous silicon nanoparticles for applications in nano-medicine

Drug delivery using nanosized materials holds significant potential to resolve challenges faced by conventional enteral and parental therapeutic administration, including poor drug solubility and off-target toxic effects. Porous silicon (pSi) nanostructures possess large surface areas in relation to volume and exhibit high biocompatibility. Tunable pore size and versatile surface functionalisation allows carriers to be created to match drug characteristics, maximising loading capacity. This chapter reviews the fabrication of pSi nanoparticles and their use for targeted drug delivery. Particular emphasis is placed on surface functionalisation regimes typically employed to construct biocompatible nanoparticles. The qualification of candidate pSi nanoparticles as biocompatible and fit-for-purpose, required for progression to therapeutic use, are discussed. We particularly focus on the application of pSi nanocarriers for cancer therapies and chronic wound healing.